The Last Vision
by BLSH
Summary: The young king turned away from the night sky and sought the darkness of his room again. He huffed in a fit of distress and vowed that if he had to ride the moonlight all his life to get to her, he would. (V/H)
1. A Universe Between Two Worlds

**The Last Vision**

01 : A Universe Between Two Worlds

* * *

The odd nighttime breeze blew into Hitomi Kanzaki's room. Her curtains swayed away from the window like waves. They seemed suspended in the air for a long time. Everything moved in slow motion.

It was bad this time. Worse than the other times. So bad her teeth were grinding against each other in frustration. She missed him terribly. His unruly hair. His temper. His hands made rough from hard work. The itch she would feel when his bangs fell over her eyes. His clean scent. His manly laugh. His warmth, strong and sure.

Hitomi gathered her pillows around her body and tried to burrow deeper in her bed. She expected keeping the promise they made to each other to be challenging, but she didn't expect this agony.

 _But we can see each other anytime, right? So long as our thoughts reach each other._

 _I didn't even kiss him_ , she thought. The longing trapped in her body made breathing hard.

She ran her fingers over her neck, pretending her hands were his. As her fingernails grazed over her breasts, she arched back, wondering if he would like what he saw underneath him—the image of her reacting to his touches as he reduced her from woman to raging fever. The fantasy of them making love, his wings spread over and around them, lifting her up at the right time, urging her cling to him for dear life was a cruelty she subjected herself to over and over again.

Hitomi turned to her side and gripped the pillow between her legs. Ankles hooked together, she pressed the pillow closer to her womanhood, hoping to quell the burning ache, but the attempt was unsuccessful. It only fed the fire.

The wanton feeling never went away. It was only masked by the dreariness of daily routine and feigned ignorance. But more powerful than physical longing was the loneliness she was always made aware of while walking along the street alone, hearing a line of a song, or preparing a meal for one. She couldn't remember why she left Fanelia, why they both agreed it would be the right decision. The why of it screamed and bounced against the walls of her wind, grasping for reason and clarity. Her ability to think straight weakened as the lust and loneliness inside her blazed unapologetically. Unable to control herself any longer, her fingers dipped lower, leaving a hot trail along her body, until they found her center, swollen, crying. Her whole body was crying for him.

"I'm not doing fine, Van."

Her eyes burned with the birth of tears.

* * *

Van Fanel sat on the edge of his bed, shirtless, his mouth clenched shut in a hard line. His elbows rested rigidly on his knees as sweat beaded on his sun-browned brow. His right leg flinched involuntarily. He held his calloused hands together in a death grip.

It was one of those nights again—when he couldn't stop thinking about her. He didn't mind thinking about her all morning and afternoon, which was the new reality he had to embrace the moment she drifted away from him almost two years ago. He just wished he could think of her more gently at night—her laughter ringing in a garden of roses, her touch lingering as she wished him a good morning, her hair parting to reveal her emerald eyes—instead of the sinful, desperate fantasies that came to him as the light of the sun left Fanelia and the Mystic Moon glowed brighter and brighter among the stars.

Allen's words came to him again. _It's only been a few of years. Your feelings will soften their grasp eventually_ , the Asturian knight said. But he couldn't possibly understand. There was no way anyone in the kingdom understood the kind of love he and Hitomi shared. This worried him immensely. There was no one to consult and no one to offer comfort—except the girl who left him.

Perhaps if he could find another dragon to slay, he might just end up somewhere near her again. If he experimented more with the pendant, there might be a way back. Although he felt it was a dishonour to his brother's memory, he played with the idea that if he woke Escaflowne and flew as far as he can in the direction of the Mystic Moon, he could find Hitomi and tell her they shouldn't have parted.

 _I'm not doing fine, Van_.

Sometimes he imagined her sweet voice calling for him, telling him she needed him, asking him to save her. "We shouldn't have parted, Hitomi." It killed him.

Then, as if a psychic cord suddenly connected them, he swore he felt the uncomfortable heat inside her, similar to the burning happening inside him, a contrast to the cooler touch of her pendant hanging against his chest. He jerked upright from his bed and paced around his room in angry strides. He reached his balcony and let the steady flow of wind push against his bare chest, calming him down. He could have burned holes in the Mystic Moon the way he stared at it so intensely.

He had to call her back somehow. The pendant, the Drag-energist, Escaflowne, sheer will, strong love. They could be the ingredients of her return—or his arrival to wherever she was. He found himself overcome with a determination so concentrated that the hair on his forearms rose at attention. He felt the itch of beading sweat around his scalp. The pendant grew heavy hanging on his neck. He wondered how desperate and agitated he had to be before the pillar of light surrounded his body again.

The young king turned away from the night sky and sought the darkness of his room again. He huffed in a fit of distress and vowed that if he had to ride the moonlight all his life to get to her, he would.

* * *

TBC.

A/N: This is definitely a work in progress. I've started watching _The Vision of Escaflowne_ again for the nth time, and I just started writing a few words down. I understand why Hitomi had to leave Gaea in the end, and I think that was the ideal ending, but the romantic in me just couldn't resist locking these love birds in another situation again. Nothing solid in mind for this story yet. Still trying to find a good angle. If anything, it's an exercise in writing fanfic again. Getting back into the groove of things. Hope this floats your boat. x.


	2. Convergence

The Last Vision

02: Convergence

* * *

"Hitomi."

He was right in front of her, so tall and handsome. She felt warm and safe just by looking at him.

"Hitomi."

Smiling. His eyes are shining like stars, looking at her so tenderly.

"Hitomi."

He opens his arms, beckoning her, pulling her into him. Her body moves instantly, hesitant steps at first, and then she was running. The distance between them was becoming shorter. She could almost feel his arms holding her against his strong chest, letting her know she was home at last.

"Hitomi!"

Then she fell.

Her eyes opened wide. Alert, stunned. She felt bead after bead of sweat glide down her neck. The air in the room was hot and thick. She was spread out on her bed, her hands clutching her sheets, her feet digging into the mattress. It was all just a dream—or a nightmare.

"Hitomi, wake up and have breakfast! You're going to be late!"

She closed her eyes and tried to relax her body. Her misery made it harder to breathe. "I'm up," she managed to whisper.

"Hitomi!"

"I'm up!" She wanted to cry. The sharp pang of a migraine was forming in her head. Two days had passed since she the last episode.

As much as she liked seeing him in her dreams, she was thankful for the brief reprieve. The fall always followed any moment of joy and relief. She would get closer to him every time, then the floor would suddenly give away underneath her, the ruin stopping just in front of his feet, the world suddenly dark and different. She could never run fast enough to reach him. The moment she wakes up, she would feel defeated and alone. It has been five years since she left Gaea, five years of chasing after him since then.

"You look like shit."

The plate of eggs in front of her was a tempting weapon to throw at his face.

"Keita, please be nice to your sister," their mother said.

"I'm just stating a fact." The whole table at his face became more tempting.

Hitomi sat down at the breakfast table and threw daggers at her brother with her eyes. She would take a bullet for him any day, but sometimes she wanted to be the one to shoot him and his potty mouth.

"Mom, do we have medicine for headaches?" she asked.

Her mother turned around, holding chopsticks with strings of natto hanging from them. "Are you ill? Do you want to go to the hospital with Keita?"

"Mom!" Her younger brother shouted in protest.

"No, I'm fine," Hitomi assured her mother (and herself more than her brother). "It's just a little headache. It's so hot these days."

Her mother placed a bowl of steaming rice topped with natto in front of her. She looked worried. "It is. Here, eat up. Are you going back to the dorm after breakfast?"

"Yeah," she replied, thinking she would always come home to have meals with her mother (and her brother) even if she was living on her own. "I'll stop by the shrine on my way. I want to get more photos of the torii."

The corners of her mother's mouth rose to form a faint yet worried smile. "I'm happy you've taken a serious interest in photography, but you already have tons of photos of that shrine's torii," her mother said as she sat down in front of Hitomi. "I'm sure you've exhausted all the angles already."

"That's probably where she goes to make out with her boyfriend," her brother said between bites of fried fish.

"Shut up, Keita. I'm so close to shoving those chopsticks up your—"

"Keita, please, not at the breakfast table." Her mother reached across the table and laid a hand on her forearm. "Hitomi," she started, her voice taking on a tone only parents have.

Hitomi felt her mother knew what she was going through, like all mothers do. She suddenly wanted to lay everything out on the table—what happened to her at Gaea years ago when she disappeared, how she met a young king that looked like an angel, all the little reasons why she loved him and missed him.

"Are you really feeling all right? You know you can tell us anything. We'll help you, whatever it is. We're family."

The truth was about to break out of her. Almost.

"It's nothing, mom. I'm fine."

She decided to wait for a better time to tell the truth, when she had the right words and a calmer state of heart. All the words she wanted to say, jumbled and charged with emotion, stayed in her throat. For a second, it all came back to her. Van told her he was fine if she wanted to stay, but she knew in her heart it wasn't the right time for them. They were teenagers then. The war forced them to reason and act like adults, but they had still so much growing up to do on their own, where they were meant to be. On top of that, the possibility of changing fate or future because she decided to stay on a different land worried her. Dornkirk was Isaac on Earth before he decided to remain on Gaea. She didn't want to be another person from the Mystic Moon to cause Gaea any more suffering than it already endured.

But more than that, her brief time with Van taught her that love transcends worlds. Leaving Gaea didn't mean their love had to end. She knew she would love him until she was old and gray and beyond that if she could, just as she promised. In this way, their love lives eternal. Perhaps it was the most unselfish, purest, and loving act she could do for him.

Or at least this is what she tries to believe again and again and again.

Her mother waited for more, but Hitomi remained silent. "Okay." She smiled at her daughter, the fine lines on her face showing. "Well, eat up. Your rice is getting cold."

* * *

"Lord Van."

What was her favorite color again?

"Your Highness."

Is it green? Or red? Blue? Did he even ask?

"Lord Van?"

Yellow? What if Allen knows? Damn Allen if he knows.

"Lord Van!"

Van's gaze snapped to the man in front of him. He remembered they were in the middle of a meeting. "I'm sorry, Cyril." He touched his forehead. "I'm quite distracted today."

The adviser put down the papers he was holding on the table. "Is there something wrong, my lord?" Worry added more lines to the older man's face.

"It's nothing," Van was quick to reply. He was not the type of king to tell an adviser he was missing a certain girl from the Mystic Moon. "I think I might just be tired."

"Of course, Your Highness. Fighting is deathly tiring, but nobody ever mentions the _paperwork_."

Van snickered at Cyril's joke. They had been cooped up in his office since dawn broke on Fanelia, ironing out matters related to the rehabilitation of the kingdom. Plans were in place to re-build Van's home into a better place for culture and commerce. Fanelia was no stranger to being called a dragon-infested backwater compared to larger, more developed territories like Asturia. Van vowed to be the ruler to change that perception. After the devastation his people endured, Fanelia was a clean slate, and the land offered much promise for improvement. For Van, as exciting the opportunity was, it unfortunately entailed tens of hours holed up in a room with hills of documents and meetings one after the other. He hadn't stood up from his chair since that morning.

Van stretched his arms high above his head and stood up to loosen knots in his legs as Cyril settled into a more comfortable position. After the day's official duties were done, they developed the habit of starting a more casual conversation that reassured Van that his most trusted adviser was more confidante than council. "I can't wait for everyone to see Fanelia once we rebuild it again. Not just this generation, but the next one as well and the one after that. Fanelia will be strong again." He looked at his city from his window. Lights were appearing in every house one by one. "And she'll stay strong."

"Hear, hear," Cyril said as he raised his hand to his king as if to offer a toast.

As Van peacefully let his imagination run free with thoughts of Fanelia's new buildings and roads, Cyril felt it was time to bring up a matter of delicate importance. He feigned a cough to bring Van back from the clouds. "Lord Van, there's another matter we perhaps might like to discuss tonight."

Van turned his head to the adviser, grinning like a schoolboy. "What is it, Cyril?"

The older man looked straight at the king's eyes. "The council thought it might be wise to invite dignitaries and other noble guests to Fanelia once we complete most of the reconstruction. As a sign of goodwill and camaraderie. We've received much help from the neighboring kingdoms."

Van nodded in agreement. "That seems like a good idea. It's a chance for us to show Fanelia in its new form. We can hopefully open discussions on new trade agreements and joint military exercises."

"Words of a wise king," Cyril said of Van's forethought. "However…" He paused and leaned forward on the table. "I'll be straight with you, Your Highness. The council also intends to gather eligible princesses and ladies of the court from all over Gaea."

Hitomi's face immediately flashed in Van's mind. A heavy weight settled in the pit of his stomach. He understood how thin the line between politics and his personal life was given his lineage and responsibilities, but he still didn't like old men deciding whom he should spend the rest of his life with. "My father was much older than I am when he decided to marry." The tone of his voice sounded icier than he intended. He had been anticipating his elders to broach the topic of marriage sooner than later.

Cyril stood up slowly and gathered his documents once again. "Yes, Your Highness. It is my opinion that the council does not—at least not yet—want to pressure you into anything. We understand how important it is to rebuild our city and strengthen our people. With the earlier suggestion, we merely want to give you something more to hope for. Trust that we have your best interests in mind." He gave the young king a tired smile. "With that, I bid you good evening." The old man gave Van a courteous smile and a nod and stepped out of room.

Alone with his thoughts, Van sat on the edge of the window and looked at the Mystic Moon, hanging large and bright in the sky. He realized he didn't take note whether or not one could see Gaea from Earth. Between slaying that land dragon and bringing Hitomi back to his world, he really didn't have much time for sightseeing. He wondered if she was looking at the sky the same time he was and thinking of him as he thinks of her.

When he thinks of her, he finds imagining the small things the most pleasurable. Hitomi making the bed after a peaceful sleep, her hands lingering on his side, his name a prayer her lips whispered. Hitomi twirling in a new dress. Hitomi reading a book and gasping when she gets to an eventful part. Hitomi tasting something new and delicious for the first time. Hitomi kissing his neck whenever he embraces her. Hitomi plopping down on his lap in a fit of giggles, urging him to come to bed, and he'll feel compelled to just by seeing her beautiful eyelashes. These are the thoughts that give him life. They drive him crazy at times, but he feels alive. Though they were worlds apart, she was still saving him.

A gentle knock came from the door, followed by a pair of twitching ears. "Lord Van?"

Van smiled. She must have run into Cyril on his way out. "I'm here, Merle."

"Lord Van!" the cat girl shrieked. She ran to him on all fours and sat close to him on the windowsill. "Lord Van, are you alright? Have you eaten? Let's eat together! Did your meeting go well? You've been inside this room all day! Are you tired? Do you want to sleep already? Cyril is so hard on you these days, making you work this long!"

Merle's pouting face never failed to put Van in a good mood. She was adorable. "It's pretty late. You should be getting ready for bed."

"But I want to spend some time with you! I haven't seen you all day!" Merle planted herself on the floor and laid her head on Van's leg.

The young king smiled and gently stroked her hair. Thoughts about how much Merle had grown and how much she stayed the same occupied him for a brief time, but his gaze soon returned to the Mystic Moon. This didn't go unnoticed.

"Lord Van," Merle said gently. "I know you miss her a lot. I always watch you." He stopped stroking her hair, but his hand remained on her head. "And you're always watching her."

Merle looked up at the Mystic Moon. "Do you think Hitomi has forgotten us?"

"She hasn't."

His answer sounded so sure. "How do you know?" She looked at Van with searching eyes.

The young king smiled the saddest smile Merle had ever seen. "She talks to me."

* * *

 _Van, I'm walking to the shrine again. You know, the one where we almost got killed by that dragon. Good times._

 _Why is it so damn hot today?_

Hitomi adjusted the straps of her backpack as she climbed higher towards the shrine. The towel around her neck was uncomfortably damp. The sound of the cicadas was deafening. She had made this climb countless of times before, but the heat that day made it particularly difficult. Her gear felt heavier than usual, and her camera started to dig into her side.

A gust of warm wind met her at the top of the stairs. It was better than nothing, she thought. Camera already in hand, she left the rest of her things under the shade of a tree. Her mother was right when she said her daughter must have photographed every nook and cranny of the shrine. Hitomi had exhausted all the angles of the place on her third visit.

Photography came somewhat randomly to Hitomi. She decided one day that she needed a hobby to distract her from thinking about Van and Gaea all the time. Perhaps it was destiny that allowed her to make that decision in front of an electronics store in Akihabara. She immediately went inside the shop and came out a few thousand yen poorer, with a new camera.

Knowing nothing about taking proper photos before that incident, it took her some time before she understood the relationship between aperture, white balance, and shutter speed. When she got the hang of it, though, she began to enjoy her new hobby and was proving more and more that she was quite good at it. Soon enough her classmates stopped asking her to read their fortunes and instead called her to take their photos.

The night she met Van replayed in her mind. The fear she felt after seeing the vision of the dragon's tail slicing through his armor and body was still acute after so many years – and so was the compulsion to punch him for acting all high and mighty after she saved his life instead of just showing a little gratitude. She laughed at the memory briefly then realized she hadn't taken a single photograph yet.

She looked up at the sky and shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun. The blue stretched for miles and miles, not a single thing to blemish it. Her thoughts drifted to Gaea then naturally, always, to Van. Sometimes she thought of him in great detail, and sometimes he just floated inside her, in and out of her consciousness, like a wave. She raised her camera as high as she could and trained it at a spot in the sky, hoping it was Gaea she was pointing at blindly. She heard the shutter click and prayed hard for something to happen.

Hitomi didn't know how long she stood there like that, but when she lowered her arm it was shaking. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down.

"Hitomi."

She missed him so much she felt delusional sometimes. That voice again.

"Hitomi."

It wasn't real. That wasn't his voice.

"Hitomi."

A hand touched the back of her neck.

"Hitomi."

Her eyes flew wide open. "Van?" she cried out as she whipped her body around.

"No… no, sorry. It's just me."

She felt like an idiot. "Amano..."

* * *

"Three hundred million."

A slight nod from a hooded figure completed the transaction. The Ispano engineer tucked the clipboard under his arm and started to walk away. "Third purchase this month," he remarked as he fell out of earshot. "The Ispano not involved."

When the Ispano disappeared around a corner, the taller cloaked figure raised his wrist to his mouth. A faint red light glowed from under his sleeve. "It is done."

"Well done. Return now. I can't wait to add another treasure to my collection."

* * *

A/N: Oh~, conflict brewing.


End file.
